One Bad Choice

I have made a lot of poor decisions in my life. A lot. Most of us have. I remember going to parties in high school and drinking wine coolers until I threw up. I can honestly say though, I was never even offered any drugs until later in life. Way later. I had never even been offered marijuana. Maybe that naivety cursed me in a way, because when my daughter became a drug addict, I was blindsided. I think what is the most alarming now at this time is that someone can offer YOUR high schooler drugs, and they make one bad choice to try it, and they can die. DIE. Think of that for a minute. Your 9th grader is at a party and someone offers them a pill, a smoke, an injection--to just "try." Bam. The substance they tried, kills them. It's happening all over our country. It's happening in our town. Isn't that terrifying?

We must pound into the brains of our kids that ONE BAD CHOICE can kill them. We must teach our kids that their lives are in their own hands during moments of peer pressure. Further, as parents-- we need to LOCK UP MEDICATION to prevent our own children or the people who enter our homes, having access to medications.

Recently I was talking to a mom about the necessity of locking up medication. You just cannot take the chance that your post surgical meds are safe around teens. Your child may not be the type to take your pain pills or muscle relaxers--but someone else's kid may take the time to look through your cabinets in hopes of finding pills. Pill snoopers are ruthless. They will invade your privacy without remorse. My husband gave a kidney to his stepfather--a KIDNEY...and someone took his pain meds. He had been trying to resist taking them but the pain was getting unbearable and the doctor told him he must take them or the pain would increase and be unable to keep under control. When I finally talked him into taking the meds, they were gone. One muscle relaxer remained. All pain pills gone. This was during my daughter's first year of college, but she and her friends had been at our house. Talk about angry. My blood was boiling. It takes a special kind of jackwagon to steal a man's medication who just donated an organ to save his father's life. Now, I look back and realize that Jackwagon may have been my daughter.

As parents we want to believe that no one would take our meds and that our kids have sense enough to not invite someone into our home who would do such a thing--but you just never know. Lock them up and then there is no question, no opportunity so that if they decide to make a bad choice to take them--they aren't tempted by seeing them sitting in a cabinet. I'm talking muscle relaxers, sleeping pills, pain pills and especially if you are ill with cancer--do not take the chance to leave any meds freely accessible.

I've heard so many stories lately of school age kids peddling pills at the local convenient stores. Xanax and Valium they are taking straight from their parent's cabinets. Meds such as Flexiril Valium, Xanax, Ambien and pain pills. Lock 'em up.

I've been pondering so many things lately that have been messaged to me. My head is spinning with ideas and ways to keep you informed. My page started out as just a mom with a blog. I'm not a substance abuse counselor, or educated in the line of counseling--I'm simply a mom with a drug addict daughter. I want others who are qualified to help people, to speak up, so I can pass on the information. If I could cure this epidemic, I would...but I can't. I can't even cure it in my own household. What I can do, is make my story an open book so that YOU can learn from my mistakes. Hopefully you can see the warning signs I missed and take advice from things I didn't do. I didn't lock up my medication. I do now.

Thank you for your encouraging words and messages. They mean so much to me. Together, we can make a difference. I do believe that.

Kids that are reading this (and by "kids" I mean birth to age 30)--please be aware of the dangers out there right now. It can kill you after one try. Please don't let "one bad choice" become your parent's biggest nightmare. Don't allow the pressure of a "friend" to cause you to lose your life.

Please, please, heed this warning.